Tires Kumho (Kumho). Kumho tires Where kumho rubber is made

Kumho tires(Kumho) is a product of the Korean manufacturer of the same name. Rubber is produced at factories in Korea and China. The manufacturer owns another brand - Marshal - produced for the markets of Europe and the CIS. Kumho tires appeared on the market 50 years ago, over the past 7-10 years they have entered the top ten world leaders in the tire industry. The philosophy of the company is based on the principle of producing inexpensive, but high-quality tires for every car owner.

Kumho Technologies: Innovation in Budget Tires

Talk about applying technology to give elasticity rubber compound or rigidity of the tire carcass is no longer meaningful. Today, each manufacturer exploits the achievements of science, giving them their own names. It is much more interesting to consider the innovative solution of the Korean company: self-sealing tires.

Unlike run flat technology from other manufacturers, Kumho self-sealing tires do not require replacement after a puncture and can be used until completely worn out.

The essence of the technology used in Korean Kumho rubber is the use of a jelly-like layer on the inner surface of the tire. After a puncture, this layer is tightened, reliably sealing the puncture site and preventing air from escaping from the tire. Interestingly, the weight of one self-sealing wheel increases by only 10% compared to a conventional one.

The manufacturer claims that Kumho tires with new technology did not suffer at all in terms of comfort and handling. The official website of the company notes that the Korean concern Kumho became the first to produce self-sealing tires in Korea. At the moment, rubber is available in three sizes and is currently available only to Korean car owners.

Kumho Laboratories is constantly working to improve the running properties of rubber, increasing rider comfort, grip and handling. Today, hundreds of motorists have appreciated the combination of quality and affordable price tires. Korean Kumho tires receive positive feedback not only on the world market, but also from Russian drivers.

Kumho tire catalog

The Korean manufacturer produces four tire lines:

• Cars
• Freight
• Light trucks
• Sports

Each line has a favorite. In the line of summer passenger tires, the model is the most popular. It is available in sizes from 13 to 18 radii. You can buy Kumho tires of this model from 1,400 rubles, the maximum price reaches 12,600 rubles. Customer reviews made it possible to highlight the advantages of tires:

• grip on dry surfaces
• strong sidewall
• wear

And disadvantages:

• hydroplaning
• sensitivity to bumps
• noise

Tire for passenger cars mobiles were slightly inferior in popularity to their predecessor, but received more positive feedback. Among the advantages are:

• wear
• hydroplaning
• sustainability
• strong sidewall

Among the disadvantages:

• insecure behavior in a rut. Buyers noted loss of control on rough roads

You can buy Kumho tires of this model in sizes from 13 to 22. The minimum price for tires is 1,850 rubles, the maximum is 17,800 rubles.

Off-road tires received the most rave reviews from car owners. It should be noted right away that this model bears the loud designation MT (Mud Terrain) and is not suitable for ordinary roads. It's exclusive mud tire. However, on the official Kumho website it is said that the tires are adapted for driving on asphalt. Buyers agreed with this statement of the manufacturer with one amendment: when used on ordinary roads, tires wear out quickly. The rubber has excellent flotation and grip, it does not get stuck in the mud and does not float in the water. The noise level is lower than expected, and the behavior on the pavement is quite tolerable. You can buy Kumho KL71 tires for at least 4200 rubles on the Internet. The model is available in 15, 16 and 17 radius.

From winter passenger tires, buyers noted the model. You can buy Kumho tires of this model for 1800 rubles. Of the advantages noted predictable behavior in the snow, the absence of noise, softness. Among the shortcomings, buyers called poor handling on bare ice and the loss of spikes.

Kumho truck tires are used reluctantly in Russia. The name of the manufacturer plays a role here. Favorable price is the main advantage of tires for mainline tractors. In terms of driving performance, tires are inferior to premium manufacturers such as Goodyear and Kormoran.

In the modern world on automotive market There are a large number of companies that produce car tires. Their large number does not mean that the market is full of exceptionally high-quality products - most models have, to put it mildly, not the best characteristics and performance. And when buying car tires, you need to look not only at the physical condition of the wheels, but also pay attention to who exactly produced these products.

Today, a special place in the market among consumers is occupied by two corporations - Kumho and Nokian. These firms produce the most quality tires which are in great demand all over the world. But buy two sets per season from different manufacturers impractical and expensive, and choosing one of the two is quite difficult. Let's try to figure out which car tire models from different manufacturers are the best.

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Tires from Japanese manufacturer Kumho tires are the most purchased tires in Japan - here the sale of these products is simply incredible at an incredible speed and with a fairly large volume. At home, the manufacturer Kumho is almost a monopoly, despite the presence of other tire manufacturers. Kumho also gradually began to develop the European market and now this company is recognizable all over the world, thanks to the excellent activity of sales specialists, and, of course, manufacturing engineers. So why is Kumho so popular?

Here it is necessary to understand that the quality of products manufactured by the Japanese is really at the highest level. In car tires, everything looks optimal - tread pattern, side and main parts, rubber compound, etc. Whatever aspect you take, whatever nuance you consider - in fact, it is quite difficult to find any flaws in every component in any model of Kumho tires. But that doesn't mean they don't exist at all.

First of all, it is worth noting the excellent traction characteristics. It's no secret to anyone that car roads in Japan have highest quality and are perhaps the best in the world. Therefore, it would seem that tires should be quite “brittle”, be subject to wear and have not the highest resource and safety margin.

In fact, everything turned out to be completely different - Kumho car tires have incredibly high resource rates: they are reliable, durable, and have the highest safety class for use. The most interesting thing is that most models from the Japanese manufacturer can also be used off-road, although it would seem that it makes no sense to create such tires with Japanese roads.

It is also worth saying that tires from this manufacturer behave perfectly on wet pavement or when driving on a muddy slippery surface, because the grip is excellent. This is due to the unique construction of the tire structure, as well as due to the optimized tread pattern, for which the Japanese use the most modern computer technology. It is also worth noting that the Japanese are working on the release of new models very scrupulously and pointwise.

For example, Japanese summer tires cannot be used in winter time no matter how good the grip is. The onset of cold weather and a strong drop in temperature can seriously affect the quality of car tires later. Such a lack of universality for tire models, on the one hand, is credited to the manufacturer, because such a nuance contributes to more painstaking and high-quality work on the product. Well, the minus of non-universality is extremely clear, without further ado.

If we talk about Nokian tires, then first of all it is worth noting that tires from this manufacturer are among the most popular, well-known and sold in Europe. Winter models are especially successful with the Finnish manufacturer, moreover, some drivers even then convert winter tires in the summer to travel longer quality rubber. What's so great about these tires?

The Finnish manufacturer Nokian has always been famous for producing and still producing tires with incredibly high quality rubber performance. Rubber is made for all models using special technologies, using a large amount of absorbent gels, and it is this fact that gives Finnish-made tires excellent performance. The margin of safety has become more serious, the degree of resistance to wear and deformation has been increased.

Also, the Finnish manufacturer did a great job of ensuring that the speed characteristics of all Nokian tire models were at the highest level, and in a few years this really became the case - cars on such tires not only pick up speed faster, but also contribute to faster braking. We also note that the braking qualities of Nokian car tires allow cars to significantly reduce the braking distance. Such a measure indicates a higher safety class of these tires, reliability while driving.

I would also like to note the additional tread pattern of Nokian tires and its features. The key point here is the construction of grooves and an increase in their width, which allows water masses to be removed from the contact patch as quickly as possible while driving on slippery and wet roads. This is another factor that has a great effect on the degree of adhesion of the wheel to the road surface.

Lineup of Kumho and Nokian

If we consider the model ranges of both manufacturers, then the following can be noted - the Finnish manufacturer has a somewhat wider and more interesting assortment. Nokian has much more of all tire formations - summer, winter, all-season. A large number of independent experts have evaluated Nokian tires and have repeatedly recognized some models as the highest quality for any particular period.

Despite the fact that the Finnish manufacturer has a lot more models than Kumho, Japanese tires cannot be called lower quality than Nokian tires. The Japanese did a great job on such qualities as braking properties, road grip, tread pattern and others. The rubber compound of Kumho tires is based on natural rubber, while the Finnish manufacturer also uses silica for rubber. This means that the environmental class of Kumho tires is slightly higher than that of tires from a Finnish manufacturer.

But if you look more at high-speed qualities, here Japanese products are inferior to Finnish ones. The structure of the tread profile is designed in such a way that the acceleration of cars really happens faster on those vehicles that are equipped with Nokian car tires. This is due to the composition of the rubber compound, and the very construction of the cord and the main part of the tire.

Acceleration and braking properties are perfectly implemented in Nokian models, and this is what contributes to the appearance of the effect of reducing fuel consumption. The engine spends less effort to accelerate the car, and it takes less effort to stop hard due to the fact that the rubber compound includes excellent stopping components.

The most interesting and bought model in the Kumho series is the Gripmax 745, known to the entire world community. This tire model is an all-season tire designed for cars. Among all other models, it stands out in that it has the highest performance and operational features. These properties provide the driver and passengers in the car with a high degree of reliability and safety.

The tread profile is interesting here, which is checkered. This construction guarantees excellent grip both when driving on a wet track and on a dry heated surface. The central longitudinal tubules timely and quickly remove the water mass from the contact patch. Such features not only improve grip, but also significantly reduce noise levels. This means that, accordingly, the level of comfort when driving is also increased.

The best model of car tires from the Finnish manufacturer Nokian can be called Hakka green. These tires are designed for use in the summer season, however, many people leave these tires in the winter without even performing tire studding operations. All thanks optimal composition rubber compound in these tires, which makes it possible to use excellent grip with the road. Also, this model is characterized by excellent speed qualities, forcing the car to accelerate much faster than when using tires of other modifications.

Also in this model, excellent braking properties, as a result of which, when stopping at high speed, braking distances will be much shorter than with any other tire model. Such braking properties are excellent for high-speed traffic in bad rainy weather.

Also special attention deserve such properties of the model of Finnish origin as rolling resistance and aquaplaning. Both of these properties are at the highest level, which gives excellent grip during fast movement, and also increases the reliability and safety of movement.

Comparison of the best models

If you look at everything objectively best qualities and the shortcomings of the presented models and add up the result, then the Japanese model, after all, loses quite a bit to the Finnish counterpart. The model from Nokian has more developed strength characteristics, despite the fact that the Japanese model was universal, all-weather, and the Finnish model was exclusively summer.

Also, the Finnish model has better grip, better speed characteristics. This model is inferior to Japanese tires in that the braking performance and general security use. Also, the Japanese model is more environmentally friendly due to the fact that natural rubber is used for the production of rubber.

There are few cons in both models - they are virtually non-existent. In general, in terms of the totality of advantages, one can give the palm of leadership to the model Nokian Hakka green. And judging by the whole model range and evaluate each model, there will surely be a sample of Japanese origin that will surpass the Finnish counterpart. But in general, the quality of Nokian tires produced is, nevertheless, higher.

Summary

We can say that Nokian tires are better than Kumho tires. However, the advantage in this matter of Finnish-made car tires is not too big, and even more so not overwhelming, which suggests that over time, Japanese models can overtake Finnish ones in terms of workmanship, since Kumho’s tire production progressivity is much higher than that of Nokian. However, it is pointless to think ahead in such matters.

The most best model Nokian sells much better than the Kumho model. And this suggests that not only experts consider Finnish tires to be better than Japanese ones - ordinary people in Europe and the world think the same way.

The reason was reports that China's Kumho plant is using too much material from waste tires in the production of new tires, which can lead to tread tears, the Chinese government said in a statement.

Kumho is one of largest manufacturers tires in China, where the company's market share last year was estimated at 16%. China also accounts for about 30% of total volumes Kumho sales.

Even though Lee Han-Seop, director of Kumho China, publicly apologized on CCTV, which was the first to report the defective tires, many consumers expressed their distrust of the company, and some even demanded that responsibility of those who were involved in the production of low-quality tires. Mr Li promised that defective tires will be recalled, but did not specify when and how many tires will be recalled.

After an audit at the Tianjin plant, Kumho admitted that some internal standards were not being fully met, after which both the plant manager and the employees responsible for quality control were fired.

In a statement, Kumho said it had notified the relevant authorities about the voluntary tire recall and promised to cooperate fully with the Chinese government, adding that it would "view all product quality issues solely from the consumer's point of view."

In the same statement, Kumho at the same time emphasized that it did not use recycled rubber, but rubber residues left over from tire production, and that it does not contain chemical additives.

Kumho noted that this rubber is used by all tire manufacturers, and that it fully complies with production standards. At the same time, the company acknowledged that the Tianjin plant used more of this rubber in production than prescribed by internal standards. "The ratio of residues to new tires in Tianjin, it reached 1/2, while according to the company's internal standards, it should not exceed 1/3," Xinhua news agency quoted a Kumho spokesman.

“We acknowledge that we had some product quality issues at the Tianjin plant, but the use of rubber left over from production is not unusual in the tire industry,” a Kumho spokesperson also said.

Be that as it may, Chinese buyers were not satisfied with Kumho's explanation, and according to Xinhua, many of them postponed the purchase of a new car until all defective tires were recalled. Auto dealers in Shanghai are also complaining that their customer hotlines are overwhelmed by calls from customers concerned that their tires may also be defective.

Chinese auto companies such as Chery, Great Wall, Dongfeng, as well as local Hyundai, VW and GM, were quick to come out with claims that the Kumho tires fitted to their vehicles were not manufactured at the Tianjin plant. Great Wall said it was refusing to cooperate with Kumho at all.

Market analysts are confident that this scandal will inevitably damage Kumho's reputation in China, which is one of the most promising markets for the Korean company. However, many experts note that it is not yet clear whether Kumho will be able to regain the trust of its Chinese buyers and customers among automakers.

So far, experts note that no damage has been done to the reputation of Hyundai, one of Kumho's key partners, but Hyundai may want to prevent such a risk by switching to tires from another company, such as Hankook.

"In the original equipment (OE) sector of China, Kumho's market share (23%) was the largest, but due to CCTV reports, this position may change," Park Sang-won, an analyst at the Seoul-based agency, told Xinghua. Eugene Investment & Securities. – Kumho has a strong position in the OE sector, which usually increases sales by secondary market. Now the company can still minimize the damage to its reputation, but only on the condition that it continues to cooperate with car companies.”

“Kumho reportedly used leftover rubber rather than recycled materials, and if the misunderstanding is cleared up, the situation may not hurt the company as much,” added Lee Sang-hyun, an expert at NH Investment & Securities. “As for Hyundai, this company will not be hurt, as it could easily start buying tires from other manufacturers if Chinese buyers are more suspicious of Kumho products.”

The South Korean company, which is on the list of the largest tire manufacturers. It was founded in 1960 in Gwangju, South Korea. Already 6 years after the creation of the company's products entered the international market. The company has 7 factories in different countries:

• South Korea - 3 plants;
• China - 3 factories;
• Vietnam - 1 plant.

In 2007, Kumho Tire developed a prototype Formula One tire. The annual output of Kumho Tire is between 60 million .

Kumho tires include a number of popular lines.

Kumho Ecsta

This includes summer stamps tires Ecsta PS31 and Ecsta HS51.

Exsta PS31- car tires designed for use in warm conditions. Ecsta PS31 refers to sports brands. It features a unique new pattern for a comfortable ride. Distinctive feature tires - a high level of balancing, stability and maneuverability at high speed. While driving, good stability is ensured due to the placement of a rigid rib in the middle of the tread.

Most of the feedback from users on these tires are positive. Of the advantages, there is a high-quality grip and braking during active driving, minimal noise. The disadvantage is the low wear resistance. Soft tires sensitive to the road surface, and unsettled.

Ecsta HS51- car tires intended for use on passenger cars. This brand is designed for use in the warm season. The category of tires belongs to the "comfort" class, but exceeds the necessary characteristics, and is equivalent to the sports class. The main advantage lies in the light dynamic handling provided by the highly elastic steel cord. Good handling is maintained at high speed due to the central stiffeners. There is minimal noise while driving.

Most user reviews for this brand are positive. Of the pluses, softness during the ride, stability on the road rut, good balancing and braking are noted. The list of disadvantages includes: slight drift in corners, sharpness of control and braking is reduced due to softness.

Kumho Ecowing

Ecowing KH27- tires for the warm season, designed for operation on passenger vehicles. Using these tires saves on fuel. They differ in average cost. With a small weight, they are able to withstand mechanical damage.

Reviews on tires are mixed. Among the advantages noted: high wear resistance, minimal noise while driving, good handling on wet roads. Some users noted a number of shortcomings, including: soft sidewall, balancing difficulties, problems with cornering. The described type of tires is not recommended for off-road driving.

Ecowing ES01- summer tires for passenger cars, with a characteristic asymmetric tread pattern. Tires belong to the class "medium". They are recommended for use on small and medium passenger cars, crossovers. In almost all characteristics, this brand has average results. There is good braking on wet roads. Small remarks relate to the level of noise and smoothness of the ride.
The tires received mixed reviews from users. Most of the buyers noted that this brand is represented standard tires for normal use. From negative aspects It was found that braking on a wet surface is worse than on a dry one.

What we know about Kumho tires

In January 2020, PartReview had a positive opinion about Kumho tires.

PR score - 82 out of 100, based on 90 reviews and 278 votes. 72 reviews are positive, 7 are neutral, and 11 are negative. The average rating for reviews is 4.1 (out of 5). The votes were distributed as follows: 230 - for, 48 - against.

Users also gave an opinion about the qualities of Kumho tires:

1. Wear resistance - a property of a spare part that determines the wear rate - is evaluated positively. 3.6 points out of 5.
2. Noise - the property of a part to produce noise - is evaluated positively. 4.3 points out of 5.
3. Controllability - the property of a spare part to influence the controllability of a car - is evaluated positively. 4.3 points out of 5.

Kumho tires in auto ratings

Here you can find out the owners of which brands and models put Kumho tires on their cars. Below is a list of auto ratings in which this spare part is in the TOP-3 of the best.

Manufacturer:
Kumho Tires Co. Inc.
A country:
South Korea

Company `s logo

President and Executive Director
Yong Ho Kim

HQ (headquarters) Gwangju plant555, Sochon-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, Korea (TEL: 062-940-2114)

Representative office address in Russia
MOSCOW
OFFICE# 604, ENTRANCE 3,
WORLD TRADE CENTER
KRASNOPRESNENSKAYA NAB. 12,
123610 MOSCOW, RUSSIA
TEL: 7-495-258-1133
FAX: 7-495-258-1133
E-mail (E-mail)

About company

In Korea, in 1946, in the city of Gwangyu, in the south of the Korean Peninsula, an enterprising local resident, In-Chun Park, founded transport company. At first, its fleet consisted of only two old Ford trucks, but the company quickly developed.
Soon a new war began, which lasted from 1950 to 1953, as a result of which Korea was divided into two states. Mr. Park's business was destroyed. However, he created new company, which eventually grew into Korea's largest intercity bus transportation company - Kwang Ju Highway Lines.
In 1960, Ying-Chun Park decided to start a tire manufacturing company, Kumho Tires. In 1965, the first Kumho tires were exported to Thailand.
In the mid-60s, the company enters the US tire market, having received an operating permit from the Department of Transportation. Tire production volumes are constantly increasing, and in 1974 a new plant in Gwangyu is put into operation, where the production of the first radial tires begins.
In 1975, Kumho developed a brand for the European market - Marshal. Develops tires European Technical Center (Birmingham).
In 1976, the company received a certificate allowing the manufacture of tires for the US Air Force. In addition to greatly improving the company's financial situation, this contract served as an excellent publicity campaign for Kumho. And in 1978, the company opens its first representative office in Europe and takes part in the largest Essen tire exhibition, where its products are highly appreciated.
In order to keep up with the times, in the early 80s, the latest research center for those times was created in the city of Gwangyu, where all the company's developments were tested. The steady growth in sales of Kumho tires led to the construction of another factory in Goksaenggon in 1989.
In 1991, Kumho is one of the top ten most popular tire manufacturers in the world. In parallel, the production of tires for aviation equipment continues.
Throughout the 1990s, Kumho received virtually all of the world's quality certifications for its products. All plants of the company also received environmental certificates. In 1999, the company was one of the first in the world to develop a tire that can be used after a puncture for some time.
By 2002, Kumho ranked second in a survey conducted by an authoritative automotive publication in terms of popularity among consumers.
In 2003, an automatic tire manufacturing plant was built in Pyungtak, and Kumho was ranked among the top nine tire companies in the world.

As an advertising company, in 2005, the world's first colored Smoke Tire tire was produced, which, in addition to having its own color, emits red smoke during active braking and acceleration, which street racers really liked.
In 2007, Kumho enters into a contract with Mercedes-Benz for the supply of tires. In the same year, two more important events for the company take place: a car shod in Kumho rubber becomes the winner of the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race, and the company presents the world's first aromatic tire.
In 2008, the company's tires receive the "Recommended Tire" category in Germany.
In Russia, the popular magazine Za Rulem constantly tests various tires. In 2008 and 2009, Kumho summer tires showed best results. In terms of sales, Kumho competes confidently with Michelin and Continental. Volkswagen has chosen Kumho tires for some models.